


Stand By Me

by FormidableChronicler



Series: Bad Ass Ladies of Marvel [4]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, BAMF Natasha Romanov, BAMF Wanda Maximoff, Female Friendship, Hurt Wanda Maximoff, It's not always easy, Magic, Natasha Romanov Is Not A Robot, Other, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Pre-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Pre-Wanda Maximoff/Vision, Wanda Maximoff Needs a Hug, dammit hydra
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-13
Updated: 2018-12-20
Packaged: 2019-08-23 00:32:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 11,773
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16608416
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FormidableChronicler/pseuds/FormidableChronicler
Summary: Ultron. Sokovia. Lagos. Leipzig.Can Wanda Maximoff ever truly be an Avenger?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> One of my absolute favorite parts of IW (slight spoiler if you haven't seen it!!) was "She's Not Alone." 
> 
> I literally jumped out and cheered in my seat in the theater at that, yay for my BAMF Marvel ladies kicking ass and being there for each other! But it got me thinking: the last time we saw Wanda and Nat, Wanda dead-ass threw Nat across the airport without an ounce of regret and chastised Clint for going to easy on the Black Widow. And I had to wonder: How did they get from that to She's Not Alone? 
> 
> This takes place after the second story in this series, "Fix You". The Red Skull's daughter, Sinthea Schmidt, appeared to mess with Steve, and Wanda chased after her. This is about Wanda's struggle to find her, and herself.
> 
> (Please note: there is a panic attack this first chapter, so please take care if that's a problem for you!)  
>    
> None of this would be possible without the great Stan Lee. RIP, sir. And thank you. I will miss your cameos so, so much.

"You still forget to look over your shoulder."

The blonde woman slid into the seat across from her, an eyebrow quirked from behind her aviator sunglasses. Wanda slowly lowered her teacup and blinked, inwardly wincing. She hadn't even noticed the woman approach. What a foolish mistake.

"Don't tell me you've already forgotten the lessons I taught you," Natasha Romanoff continued. 

How could Wanda have possibly forgotten? The mission that lesson had occurred during still haunted her dreams at night. Kept her from returning home during the day. She had so many wrongs to right.

But she also had her pride. Romanoff didn't need to know her shame.

"You do know I can still control things with my mind," Wanda said, lifting her own eyebrow. Somehow her voice sounded callous, disinterested. Good. Maybe Romanoff wouldn't notice her blink or the way her hand trembled, just a little.

"Trust me, I haven't forgotten." The look Natasha sent her was sharp and deadly. Her lips didn't quite curve in a smile, but they twitched just a bit, as if the spy knew how terrifying she came across. Keeping her hands on the teacup, Wanda sent her a level gaze back, though her heartbeat picked up.

Apparently Romanoff hadn't forgotten that the last time they'd seen each other, Wanda had flung her into a wall.

And the spy didn't seem prepared to forgive her for it.

"Why are you here?" Wanda asked.

"I want Shmidt caught," Natasha said, leaning back into her chair. "Since you haven't apprehended her yet, I'm here to help."

Wanda's nostrils flared. It wasn't as if she'd been sitting on her ass the last two months. "I do not need your help. I can find Sinthea on my own."

"If that were true, you would have already done it," the former redhead--and when _had_ she changed her hair anyway, Romanoff had always had red hair-- pointed out.

"Sinthea is not an easy target."

"No." The spy's voice hardened. "The daughter of the Red Skull wouldn't be, which is why I'm here to help."

"I don't--"

"I'm not leaving, Wanda."

Wanda huffed out a breath. "So I am just stuck with you? Aren't you supposed to stay in Wakanda?"

Romanoff smirked. "What are you talking about? I'm still there."

Of course she was. Wanda supposed if anyone could pull that lie off, it was Natasha.

"So?" Romanoff leaned over, stole Wanda's tea. "What have you got?"

She could lie. Even The Black Widow wasn't immune to her powers. Wanda could flick her hand out, narrow her eyes, and have Natasha believing whatever story she wanted. It would be too easy.

"There are three men in the building across the street," she said instead. "They made contact with Schmidt yesterday, but she vanished before I could capture her. I'm hoping they will lead me back to where she's staying."

Natasha regarded her silently. If Wanda didn't know any better, she'd have thought the spy was surprised. Perhaps she'd been expecting Wanda to use her powers. She kept still, as if she waited for Wanda to use magic, still. Too bad for her, if she was. 

Wanda was keeping a tight leash on her powers these days.

"Who are they?" Romanoff asked finally. 

"Hydra agents. Not anyone particularly high up, but they are loyal to Schmidt. And they escaped the destruction of that base a few months ago."

Natasha's jaw clenched. If she hadn't known the spy so well, it would have been unnoticeable, but Wanda caught it. And she didn't blame her at all. Remembering the Hydra base they'd found Steve in, the condition they'd found him in, made her jaw clench, as well.

And her stomach churn in gut-wrenching terror. If even Steve Rogers could be captured by Sin, what chance did the rest of them stand?

"What's the plan?" Natasha asked.

"Wait. Follow. Go from there."

"Sounds easy enough," Romanoff stated, and settled back in her chair with Wanda's tea.

 

 

 

She'd felt more comfortable around murder-bots.

Wanda shifted slightly in her seat, keeping her eyes on the building across from the little outdoor cafe she'd chosen. Natasha leaned lazily into the table, pretending to read a book.

Where'd she'd gotten it, Wanda wasn't sure.

By all appearances, the Black Widow seemed relaxed, invested in her reading. Not at all like she was staking out Hydra agents with a small arsenal on her person. Even her heart rate was steady; calmly and slowly beating in a steady pace, completely contradictory to Wanda's nervous and erratic pulse.

And what was she doing, keeping track of Romanoff's heart-rate?

Gritting her teeth, Wanda pulled herself from Natasha's aura, annoyed by the slip up. She didn't need to know what someone else's heart-rate was, what their thoughts were, what they hoped, what they dreamed. It was none of her damn business, and such things only led to trouble.

And a shock collar around her neck.

Defensive magic she could do, retaliating against people who wished harm on herself or those she cared about was allowed. Using her powers against Sinthea after what she did to Steve was permissible.

But going into minds, using her magic for offense?

Those days were over.

"If you glare any further, they'll know something is up," Natasha commented, flipping a page. "Relax, Maximoff."

"Is that a joke?" She was supposed to _relax_ in Natasha's presence? 

"If I wanted to get back at you for Leipzig I would have done it before you even knew I was here."

Cold skittered down Wanda's back. No doubt that was true. Romanoff easily could have snuck up on her, dragged her out and away, before she could defend herself. She hadn't been searching for danger, had only focused on the men in the building in front of her.

Natasha could have taken her back. She could have put her back in that cell, back in that glass box where her arms were bound, trapped at her sides and the collar at her neck...where she couldn't move, couldn't think, couldn't breathe without fear of making a wrong move and having the shock go off...

"Wanda. Can you hear me?"

The pain from the shocks was brutalizing. At first she'd tested it, sure that she could override the collar and get herself free, but each attempt emitted a pain so forceful it made her nose bleed, made blood trickle out of her ears and down her face. The pain crawled into her very mind, refusing to let go, never letting her free...

"Wanda! Can you breathe in time like me? I'm not going to get near you. But you need to take a breath."

Her eyes snapped away from the broken, dirty building and back toward Natasha. The blonde nodded, sunglasses off and eyes calm. She tilted her head in a way that reminded Wanda of when they first began working together, when Natasha was her mentor and someone she could trust.

Before the Accords. Before Leipzig. Before...

"Wanda! This will pass. You can do this. Watch how I inhale and exhale. You can breathe in time. I'm here for Sin, not for you," she said calmly, as if she'd told Wanda it was about to rain. "I'll even leave if you want. Do you want me to leave?"

_Yes._ She didn't need the reminder, didn't need to see the disdain and annoyance of another time she'd been a failure.

"No," she said stubbornly, wheezing in a breath. She could do this. She did not need to be afraid of going back to The Raft. Steve had destroyed it, and Clint had _sworn_ she would never be held like that again.

If she could trust anyone, she could trust Barton. He'd named his son after Pietro.

It was the only link she had to him left.

"Wanda?"

"I am fine." Taking a breath was like swallowing glass, but Wanda did it. Her whole body shuddered while she did, eyes weak and watering, but she focused on the way Natasha gestured to inhale and exhale and followed her example.

"Good. Keep doing that. Can you see the items on the table?" Romanoff asked. "How many sugar packets do we have left?"

"Seven," Wanda counted, gritting her teeth. 

"Can you hear the conversations around us?"

"That man behind you is cheating on his wife," she said loudly. 

Natasha's lips twitched as the man sputtered and protested his innocence behind her. "Well, everyone at this cafe is now aware of that. Should we take a walk around the block, get a little fresh air?"

"More fresh than the outside air we're currently getting?" Wanda asked, and she was pleased to note her voice was back to normal. 

Natasha just stared at her. 

Recognizing it for the distraction it was, Wanda stood. "I suppose I could stretch my legs."

And leaving behind her tea and the man still protesting his faithfulness, she followed Natasha off of the patio.

 

 

They strolled down the cobbled streets, Wanda keeping her head down and her hands in her pockets. Natasha kept the building they were surveilling in her sight at all times, but they moved far enough away from the cafe that it didn't seem odd for them to stay in the area.

Of all the places she'd followed Sin to, Edinburgh was her favorite so far. Something about the city, from the Old Town district to the enormous castle on a hilltop spoke to her. Made her want to stay. Instead she pulled her cap down further onto her head, and watched the Black Widow out of the corner of her eye.

"I didn't know about the Raft," Romanoff said suddenly. She stopped their moseying and looked Wanda in the eye. "Tony didn't, either. If we'd known...we wouldn't have let that happen, Wanda."

So she said. But Tony, Natasha and Vision had all taken them in, had been the reason Wanda submitted instead of running away. 

She'd trusted them.

"It's too late to know for sure, isn't it?" Wanda asked quietly. "I do not wish to talk about it."

Natasha's lips pressed into a thin line, like she wanted to push the issue, but she kept quiet. At least that was one thing the spy was still considerate at.

Turning her back on Romanoff didn't seem like a smart idea, so Wanda let her take point on watching the building. She'd watched it for two days, now. Maybe Natasha would notice something different. 

"The three men in the building. Were they two blonds and a brunet?" Romanoff asked.

"Yes."

Natasha grinned. "They just left. Let's find out where they go."


	2. Chapter 2

"They are not going to lead us right to Sin."

"Of course not, that would be too easy," Natasha murmured while they slipped between tourists. "Any chance you know where they're heading?"

"No." Wanda said flatly. Natasha sent her a glance, but didn't comment. Good. Let her wonder why she wasn't using her magic. There was no reason for her to explain herself.

The men they followed veered off the sidewalk, into a cemetery.

"Well, this is charming," Natasha said as they followed.

"Not a fan of graveyards, Romanoff?"

Romanoff shifted, just enough for Wanda to see her eyes narrow. "I don't see the point. What's done is done. They're gone."

"True. But they are a place of comfort, a place to mourn. Not one to be wary in. The dead do not bother me." She’d been to Pietro’s grave often. He wasn’t there, but having somewhere to visit him, speak to him out loud, helped on the days she was drowning in her own despair and failures.

“Hmm.” Was all Natasha said. Continuing on, they paused behind a large tombstone or two, waiting for the men to get to their destination. When they entered a vault, Wanda and Natasha waited ten minutes, then approached it.

The men had locked it behind them, but that didn’t keep the Black Widow from staying out. Quickly getting to work, Natasha picked the lock while Wanda kept guard.

“Interesting,” Natasha said when the door opened and they stared at not a tomb for the dead, but ancient stairs leading into darkness.

“Where do they lead?”

“We’re pretty close to the South Bridge,” Natasha commented, glancing at the cemetery around them before descending down. Wanda closed the door behind her and followed, allowing a small red ball of light to hover above them and guide the way. 

“What does the South Bridge have to do with it?”

Natasha turned back, blinked at her. “If we are so close to the South Bridge, there’s a chance this connects to the Vaults. I wouldn’t have thought there’d be an entrance here, but stranger things have happened.”

“What are the Vaults?” Wanda asked, fingers crawling down her spine as the stairwell became more narrow. The air was old, and stale, as if it had never had a gust of wind flutter down to cleanse it.

“Tunnels and spaces underneath the bridge. Once used for cobblers, taverns and cutlers back in the 1700s, which of course lead to more shady trades as time went by. Including body snatching,” Natasha said, looking amused. “Now they’re mostly used for scaring tourists.”

“I can see why,” Wanda said. Something lingered in the air down here. Not evil, not menacing, but definitely not welcoming, either.

Perhaps she needed to rethink her statement regarding the dead.

“Looks like Hydra might have found a portion of it to use for their own purposes, although I don’t see how they could keep it secret from tourist companies and historians.”

“Hydra seems to always find a way,” Wanda murmured. They reached the end of the stairwell and moved through tunnels, the only light coming from Wanda’s magic. Instead of being soothing and assuring, it cast the tunnels in an eerie haze, making Wanda’s skin itch. When they ran into a fork in the road, Natasha looked at her expectantly, like she wanted Wanda to magically know where Sin’s men went, and choose the correct path.

Wanda randomly chose the left tunnel. “What would Hydra use these tunnels for?”

“Easy access around this section of the city. Or hiding things they don’t want found.” Natasha said. The tunnel widened into a square room, just big enough for a crowd of a fifty or so. 

On the far wall, the stone had holes cut into it, as if someone had made ancient shelves.

“Probably where the body snatchers used to stash bodies,” Natasha said, following her gaze. Snorting, Wanda stepped forward, shining her magic at the shelves.

“It’s full of cases.” Ripping open the lid of one, Wanda studied the contents and paled. “Natasha. This is full of some kind of medicine.”

Romanoff swore and took a look. “At least we know what the tunnels are for. It’s a good place to hide items you don’t want found.”

“What do you think it is? The suppressant they used on Captain Rogers?” Wanda asked.

“Doubtful.” Natasha held up a tube, eyes narrowed. “Maria and Sam were pretty certain they destroyed all of that. And I think if Hydra still had a way to make Steve weak, they would have tried to go after him again.”

“Then what are they hiding down here?”

“The serum used to make Sin strong, potentially.” She studied the tube again. “Or something worse. If Bruce were here...” she trailed off, a pinched expression crossing her features. 

Right. The scientist behind The Hulk would know about such things. But he had been missing for years. Wanda didn’t think he would magically appear now to help figure out what they found.

“Is there anyone else who could study this?”

“An Agent of Shield I know, possibly. Or Helen Cho.” She sighed. “Maybe even Stark.”

“No.” The word was harsh and final.

“The Accords weren’t his fault, Wanda.”

“Weren’t they?” She snapped. Her fingers trembled a bit so she clenched them into fists, gritting her teeth. “A lot of things are Stark’s fault.”

“Are they?” Natasha murmured. Wanda spun, snarling at her, but the Black Widow only gazed casually back.

Like she knew.

Bile rose in the back of Wanda’s throat. The Avengers had forgiven her for the visions she’d sent them, when she first joined the team. Steve had been the first to clap her on the shoulder, tell her as long as she continued to right her wrongs by staying an Avenger, and never did something so destructive again, all was forgiven. Thor had uttered something similar, before he departed all those years ago. Natasha never came right out and said it, but seeing as she didn’t murder Wanda in her sleep or act terrified of her magic, she assumed she was forgiven.

Stark never acknowledged it.

He didn’t train with them. When he stopped by the new Avenger compound, he rarely spoke with her. They were not friends, even before The Accords fiasco damaged the Avengers all to hell.

And no one knew about the vision she’d sent him in a cold Hydra base in Sokovia.

But Romanoff stared at her as if _she knew_. Which, no. Stark and Romanoff were not close. He would not have told her, she was not referring to that, she didn’t know the truth.  


That everything was actually Wanda’s fault. All of it.

“Wanda,” Natasha began, but stopped immediately, and snapped her head to the left.

“What is it?” Wanda whispered, but it wasn’t long before she heard the footsteps as well. And the grumbling coming down the tunnel.

“I told you we went the wrong way. Jesus, these tunnels are ridiculous. We need a map.”

“Sure, ask Sin if you can create a map of her super secret tunnels for anyone to get their hands on. Idiot,” the second man snapped. “Lets just grab the crates she wanted, and then—shit!”

Natasha leapt out of the shadows. Swiftly twisting, she was up and on the shoulders of the first man in seconds. Considering how low the ceiling in the Vaults were, that seemed foolishly risky, but Romanoff seemed to have somehow calculated the best way to keep her head from smashing into the ceiling. A quick flip and a yelp later, the man was groaning on the ground.

The second man—the one who had wanted a map of the tunnels—-reached for his gun. Wanda held out her hand, red tendrils of her magic snaking out and entwining him. The man froze.

“That would not be a wise idea,” she told him.

Natasha kicked the man at her feet in the ass. “Hi, fellas. Fancy running into Hydra agents down here. What are you hiding?”

“Fuck off,” the man spat.

“That’s no way to speak to a lady,” Natasha purred, lashing out to grab his hair and yank him up harshly.

He retaliated slamming his elbow back. Natasha avoided it, slamming him back to his knees. Groaning, the man sliced his arms up, ripping Natasha’s hand out if his hair (losing a good chunk of it in the process), and flung himself away.

Wanda had just a flash of the man’s intent (she WASN’T trying, but his mind all but screamed it at her) and then he was reaching his now-free arms to grab something off his belt.

“Hail Hydra,” he gasped, and Romanoff slammed him down, trying to stop him—-

The grenade dropped to the ground in front of them. With a curse Natasha kicked it away, grabbing Wanda and flinging her back into another tunnel, away from Hydra men and the grenade.

The explosion thundered through the tunnels, a rumbling like Wanda had never heard before reverberating through the darkness.

And the roof collapsed down on them.

 

 

“That went well.” Natasha’s voice boomed through the small space they were trapped in. Dust swirled around, and she sneezed, then craned her neck to look over at Wanda. “Thanks for not letting the roof squash us. You okay?”

Wanda only grunted in reply. Holding her hands in front of her, she urged her magic to continue to keep the roof and debris away. But the damn thing was heavy, and sweat broke out along her brow.

Natasha noticed. “How long can you hold this?”

“Not...long,” Wanda managed. Was there even any point? Moving the debris with her magic would be impossible, and her arms already trembled with strain. Maybe she should have let the roof crumple on top of them, giving them false hope of surviving this only seemed cruel.

“Hang on as long as you can,” Natasha demanded. “I’ve got an idea.”

Wanda grunted again to show she heard her. What was she going to do, magically teleport them away? Not even Wanda could do that.

Although...there was one person who could. She watched Natasha reach down and grab her phone, and felt dread curl in her stomach. She was calling for an extraction.

There was only one person who could get them out of here.

Closing her eyes, Wanda huffed out a breath and focused on her magic. So Natasha was calling for backup. She’d managed to get through a meeting before, she could do it again. It was not a big deal. It was not...

There was a popping noise, and then a pair of familiar blue eyes stared down at her.

“Hello Wanda.”

No getting around it now. She was a big girl, she could do this. Taking a moment to look away from the debris threatening to crush them, Wanda managed to twist her mouth into a small smile.

“Hi, Viz.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you ever get the chance to go to Edinburgh, taking a ghost tour of the Vaults is an icrediblly fun (and creepy!) experience.
> 
> Also, apologies for being quiet for a bit--the story got away from me a little, and then the holidays and whoops! Updates should be more regular now though :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for another panic attack, (poor Wanda is having a rough time adjusting to what happened in the Raft), so please take care if that's a problem for you, lovelies!

“If you’re done with the goo goo eyes, Viz, could you get us out of here?” Natasha demanded.

Vision somehow flushed. “Oh. Um, of course. You called for assistance. Where—” he glanced at Wanda and blushed again, which shouldn’t be possible with his purple skin tone. “Where would you like me to take you?”

“Somewhere that isn’t about to crush us any second!” Natasha snapped.

“Right.” He cringed a little. “There is one place that is safe. Please hold on.”

Gently wrapping a hand on both Natasha and Wanda’s wrist, Vision nodded and blinked. Pressure popped in her ears, building and pressing in on her jaw, making her wish she had gum. But before she could do much more than blink, the feeling was gone and she stood in the middle of a spacious apartment.

“Much better,” Natasha sighed, stretching her arms and taking a deep breath. “Thanks, Vision.”

“You are most welcome, Agent Romanoff.”

Natasha rolled her eyes. “We’ve talked about this. It’s Nat.”

“Right. Nat.” He smiled, then hesitatingly turned to Wanda. “It is good to see you, Wanda.”

Was that an ache in her heart? Surely there wasn’t enough of it left to ache. “You too, Viz. It’s been a while.”

“Yes. Probably not since we both assisted Captain Rogers? Though I was too busy getting him back to Wakanda to really speak with you. Which was necessary,” he said hastily, as if he worried she thought he didn’t care for Steve. “And I’m glad the captain lives, it was most distressing to see him so vulnerable. But, I...well, I wanted to visit with you, see how you were, if you were well. Which...which I suppose I can do now!” His awkward rambling ended with a charming smile. “And are you?”

“Am I?”

“Well?”

This conversation had gotten so odd. What was she supposed to say to that? “As well as I can be, I suppose,” Wanda replied. She shifted—what else should she say to the man who was not a man and the friend who wasn’t really her friend?—-and tucked her hair behind her ear. “How have you b—“

She was cut off when his eyes narrowed. “You’re injured.”

Wanda glanced down. Blood seeped from a wound on her side, making her frown. When had that happened? 

"We should tend to that," Vision stated. "I'll find some supplies. There should be some here somewhere."

"It's really not a big deal," Wanda said, but Vision had already stepped away. Sighing, she turned to Natasha. "Where are we?"

"Safe house," the spy replied. She gave no further hints as to their whereabouts, which made Wanda's back go up. If Vision knew where it was, and Natasha wasn't spilling any other info, it most certainly belonged to Stark. Wonderful. 

Vision returned quickly, arms full of gauze and bandaids and antiseptics. 

"Vision, it's really not that big of deal." 

"I would not wish to see you suffer," he said quietly. 

Her nostrils flared. A side wound was bad, but being thrown in a prison with a shock collar was fine? "I'm fine," she said between clenched teeth. 

"Wanda. Please let me help you?"

She was being unfair. She _knew_ that, knew that if Natasha and Stark had no clue about the Raft, then Vision certainly hadn't either. But it had been a long day, and she was in Stark's apartment, and now that she was thinking about it, her damn side _did_ hurt.

And she was still nowhere close to catching Sin.

Feeling miserably incompetent, she threw herself down on the couch and lifted her shirt so Vision could clean the wound. "Fine. Go ahead."

 _No point in arguing,_ she grumbled to herself while Vision carefully tended the gash. She needed to be at her best to take down Sin, so making sure her wounds were treated would be wise. But still. The feeling of being a failure lingered. It was a feeling she was all too familiar with these days.

“I’m sorry,” Vision said quietly.

Wanda flinched, then glanced over at him. “For what? Fixing me up? It’s fine. I appreciate you stitching me up, Viz, I’m just in a lousy mood.”

“That is not what I am sorry for.” He pressed a bandage to her side, then gently lowered her shirt back down. For a moment he kneeled in front of her, blue eyes wide and sad. “I am sorry that you were treated so horribly in the Raft, and that it was my failures that placed you there.” He stood, pressing his lips together while she stared up at him stupidly, having no idea how to respond. “I am sorry that you can no longer trust me, that I ruined what might have...well. I am sorry, Wanda. More than I can ever say.”

“Vision...”

“I must return back to the Avenger Compound,” he said regretfully. He placed an old burn phone in her hand. “Should you have further need from me, I shall be there at once.”

“I....” her voice trailed off while he nodded a goodby at Natasha. “Thanks, Viz.”

“It was my pleasure,” he said quietly, and vanished.

Wanda gripped the phone tightly in her hand, thinking of his words. Of what might have been.

And wishing she could just, for once in her life, not screw everything up.

 

 

 

“That looks hideous.” Staring at the brown slop in front of her, Wanda tried not to cringe. “What is it?”

“Food,” Natasha said, taking a bite.

“This was the only food available in Stark’s apartment?” Somehow she doubted that.

Natasha’s eyebrow quirked. “I never said this was Stark’s apartment.”

“I am not an idiot.”

“You are if you don’t eat and keep your strength up.”

Wanda rolled her eyes and took a bite. It wasn’t as bad as it looked, but it definitely would not win any awards.

They ate in a slightly comfortable silence, Wanda’s thoughts drifting back to Vision, when Romanoff ruined the moment.

“Are you going to explain why you refuse to use your magic?”

Her fork clattered to the table. “That is none of your business.”

“It is, actually. Seeing as how your negligence in the tunnels nearly had the roof crushing me to death.”

“Negligence?” Wanda hissed, shoving to her feet. “Was it negligence when I _caught_ that roof, kept us from being squashed like a bug?”

“No. But it was when you didn’t bother to use your abilities to survey the area, ensure that we weren’t about to be attacked.”

“Why should I bother when I have the Black Widow around? Isn’t one of _your_ abilities not having anyone be able to sneak up on you?”

“Isn’t one of yours reading minds?”

“No,” Wanda snapped. “It’s not.”

“Never seemed to be a problem before.”

“It’s not a problem.” Her throat was closing. It was growing tight, making it difficult to breathe, to swallow. Wanda’s fingers itched to reach up, make sure that her throat was bare, that nothing encircled it. She knew, she _knew_ the shock collar wasn’t there, but she could feel it’s heaviness, feel the threat.

If she used her magic, if she tried to get it off...

“Wanda.” Natasha’s voice had her snapping back. She lowered her hands---which, dammit, they _had_ gone to to her neck, had shown Romanoff exactly what she’d been thinking. Fantastic. Without a word, she stormed out of the kitchen.

Natasha, damn her, followed.

“Have you talked to anyone?” The spy asked quietly, while Wanda glared out the window.

“About what?” Wanda snapped, rubbing her hands up and down her arms. Why was it so cold in here?

“About what happened in the Raft.”

She couldn’t control the flinch. Just thinking about that terrible place had her stomach rolling, and bile rising to the back of her throat...forcing the memories back down, Wanda spun on Natasha, nostrils flaring. “Who would I talk to? I am on the run as a fugitive, remember?”

“Clint would have listened. And Sam is trained to help...”

“I am not talking to Clint or Sam.”

“Steve, then.”

The laugh that escaped her throat was bitter, and full of scorn. “I am not whining to Captain America about my problems.”

“Technically, he’s not Cap anymore.” Natasha pointed out.

Wanda rolled her eyes again. “Steve did not stop being the Captain simply because he had a little disagreement with Stark. It’s who he is.”

Natasha’s eyes were bright. “It was not exactly a little disagreement, but I get what you’re saying. And I agree. Steve is Cap, and all that he represents.” She paused, took a sip of the tea Wanda had not realized she’d been holding. “And he would want you to talk to him.”

“I can’t.” The words slipped out before she could stop them, and suddenly her eyes were burning, and her shoulders slumped. She wanted to be anywhere other than where she was, away Romanoff, away from Vision and what might have been. She wanted to be alone.

But she’d tried that. And here she was anyway, in an apartment owned by a man who she’d once tried to kill, with a woman who’d been a friend, but whom she’d also eventually tried to kill.

She was exhausted.

“Why not?” Natasha’s words echoed in the spacious room. “He considers you a friend, Maximoff.”

“I don’t deserve it.”

“You don’t deserve friendship?”

“No.” She moved back to the window, not wanting to see the pitying look on Natasha’s face. “I am not a good person.”

“Because you’ve made mistakes?”

“I have used my magic to harm.” Stark. Banner. Vision. “And every time I think I have it under control, and use it offensively, I mess it up.” Lagos. “People are right to fear me. I’m a monster.”

“The same could be said of me.” Natasha sank into the couch next to her, tucking her knees underneath her. “I’ve got a lot of red in my ledger to clear, Wanda. And it’s not nearly done.”

“It is not the same.”

“Isn’t it?” Natasha murmured. “I killed dozens of people before Clint found me. Before I became an Avenger. And then killed more on behalf of Shield, on missions that turned out to be Hydra. You’re not the only one to make a mistake.”

“It feels like it.” Even with Romanoff’s admission, Wanda felt like the only monster in the room.

“That’s because you’re not looking past your own failings long enough to see the struggles of everyone else.” Her words were not said harshly, but Wanda still felt the soft scolding.  


And it sent her temper raging back.

“It is not the same.” She repeated, nearly growling. How could it be? They were all known for being heroes, for saving the world, while she’d done nothing but fuck it up.

Natasha sent her a level look. “You’re young, Maximoff, but not that young.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means you’re old enough to remember.”

“Remember WHAT?” Wanda snapped.

“When Tony was the Merchant of Death. Responsible for killing innocents he had no idea were suffering.” That hit a little too close to home, and Wanda looked away again. Natasha continued. “You’re old enough to remember when Bruce couldn’t control the Hulk, and broke Harlem. Or how Thor refused to acknowledge how far his brother had fallen, which led to the Battle of New York.” Romanoff’s voice hitched as she stood, stalking over to Wanda, eyes pure ice. “How Clint was compromised during that mission, and how his actions led to the death of friends.”

“Those all happened a long time ago-“ Wanda began, but Natasha cut her off.

“You want more recent examples? How about when Vision made a choice based on his moral compass, which led to the imprisonment and torture of one of the only people who seemed to really understand him.” Wanda blushed, but Natasha kept going, the words spewing out of her as if she couldn’t stop. “Or maybe when Sam chose to save himself, which led to the fall and crushing injury of his friend. Or when I betrayed one friend for another, and started dominos in motion for our group to shatter.” There were red splotches on the spy’s face, and Wanda could only blink. Natasha—- _Natasha_ —-was losing her temper.

And she just kept going. “Maybe it would be helpful to remind you of the time that Steve--- _Steve_ , the man who has been terrified since 1945 that he is really nothing more than a weapon, the man you think you have to hide from---He lied to a friend and ripped apart the Avengers. He lied to Tony, he made a horrible _mistake_. But he gets up every day and tries to fix it. We’ve all made mistakes, Wanda. And trust me, none of us sleep all that well because of it. But that doesn’t mean you get to give up.”

“I have NOT—“

“You’ve forgotten what Clint taught you.” Natasha said quietly.

The world stopped. Wanda could hear her racing heartbeat thundering in her ears, hear the clenching of her teeth as she glared at Natasha.

“And what is that?” Wanda snapped.

“It doesn't matter what you did, or what you were. You go out there, and you fight. You step out the door, and you be an Avenger.”

Her eyes were blurry. Clint’s words, the inspiring words he’d gifted her at the battle she’d joined moments before losing her brother...it was too much. Salt being rubbed in a wound that never truly closed.

The constant grief of missing Pietro nearly consumed her.

“What if I don’t want to be an Avenger anymore?” Her words were hoarse, raw, as if she’d screamed as long as she had that horrible day Pietro died.

“It’s your decision.” Natasha said simply. “You could do a lot of good, Wanda. We’re going to need you. Something’s coming, Tony wasn’t wrong about that. And we’ll need you. But we need YOU. The Scarlet Witch, the Avenger, not a scared woman afraid of her abilities.”

The words sliced through her. “I’m not afraid.”

But she was. She really, really was. And that collar had only made things worse.

“Prove it,” Natasha said, and walked out of the room.


	4. Chapter 4

Red tendrils of magic swirled around her, keeping Wanda warm from the chilly Scottish air. In the distance she could see the lights illuminating Edinburgh Castle in the night sky, and behind it, the older parts of the city. Stark’s apartment, in the middle of Princes Street, loomed over the gardens and popular tourist attractions, and from her perch Wanda could hear laughter and the rumble of vehicles.

An errant thought about checking out Hollyrood Castle was banished from Wanda’s mind. No point listening to what the tourists below wanted to cross off their bucket list. She had bigger fish to catch.

And she’d be damned if she let Romanoff continue on thinking she was scared.

Rolling her shoulders, Wanda cleared her mind and thought of Sinthea Schmidt.

The Red Skull’s daughter was in her 20s, somehow magically kept hidden until earlier that year. Wanda was fuzzy on the details of how that was possible. But she knew Sin had been resurrected by what was left of Hydra after the Avengers had split, thinking it was the perfect time to go after Rogers and finally get revenge on the super soldier.

They had damn near succeeded.

Maria Hill had helped get him out, and gave Wanda the lead on where to hunt down Sin while Rogers recovered. The last two months had been full of Wanda trying to get a read on the Red Skull’s daughter, and each time she got close, she’d failed to bring her in, because Romanoff was right.

She was afraid.

Even now, when her magic did nothing but keep her warm, anxiety crawled up her back like a spider. She could make the wrong decision again. So many times she had made the incorrect choice. Joining Hydra. Sending that vision to Stark. Allying with Ultron.

And that had just been the start of it. Even being an Avenger didn’t stop her from making the wrong judgments. She’d been to cocky in Lagos. Too insecure at the Compound, refusing to stay put.

Too furious at Leipzig.

And now....she didn’t know what to feel. She was slightly annoyed at Natasha, true, and also embarrassed for her failures. But otherwise, there was no spark, no drive in her left.

“So stubborn,” Pietro used to tease. “So bossy. I am two minutes older, you know.”

Stubborn. Bossy. Determined. Where had that girl gone? Had she died that day as well?

What would Pietro say if he saw her now?

“You think too much.” His voice whispered on the wind, and she could hear the laugh, see the carefree smile he would toss her. “Just do the thing, Wanda. Sin will never see you coming.”

Easy for him to say. He was dead.

But she could picture him, as if he were really there, leaning lazily against the wall across from her, a smirk on his face.

And again, she heard his voice as if he were truly there. “Since when do you let someone get the better of you? Get off your ass, Sis. Be an Avenger.”

He’d never gotten the chance to truly be an Avenger, gunned down before he could join the team.

The image of Pietro she held in her head rolled his eyes, pushed off from the wall. “Yeah, so you have to do it for both of us. Go.”

A blur on the roof appeared where she stared, so similar to the way Pietro looked when he would zoom away, faster than eyes could follow.

And Wanda felt, actually _felt_ , a nudge at her back, scooting her forward, encouraging her towards the magical red threads.

Her heart plummeted to her toes—she was imagining it, her magic was playing tricks on even her now. She hadn’t felt a thing, it wasn’t _real_.

But the laughter was so goddamn familiar as the voice she knew better than her own chuckled, “What? You didn’t see that coming?”

And then the night was quiet, as if her brother had sped off elsewhere, leaving her behind once again.

 

 

_Get off your ass._

She hadn’t been sitting on her ass, dammit. But she got the gist. It was time to stop hiding. Because that’s what she had done, there was no other word for it. She’d hidden from her magic, hidden from her friends, hidden from the world since she’d escaped the Raft. It hadn’t done a damn thing to make her feel better.

_Sin will never see you coming._

She could work with that.

Wanda stepped to the ledge, letting her magic extend out. She couldn’t read minds, technically, but she could get a feel for them. She hadn’t really encountered Sin’s before, but she could try and find her.

All she had to do was move things with her mind.

Harder to do the further away she was. Especially since she hadn’t used those abilities in a while, hadn’t flexed those muscles in a few years.

_Just do the thing._

_Be an Avenger._

She _was_ an Avenger. She’d been on successful missions, she’d _helped_ people with her magic. That had been forgotten at some point. Probably when she had been locked up and alone in a cell that was constantly too bright and endlessly monitored. When the fear overrode everything else.

But she hadn’t been in that cell in a long time.

It was time to remember the girl she’d been before that. Before the Accords, before Lagos. And then fuse that girl with the woman she was now.

The Avenger she could be.

Wanda closed her eyes, listening to the wind. Opening her senses, she felt her magic ripple along her skin, warming her, as if it were an old friend greeting her hello. Not mad about being cast aside or neglected, but encouraging and patient, and eager to begin.

The Scarlet Witch opened her eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did the Endgame trailer break anyone else this morning? It broke me! I am broken. With alllll the feelings.
> 
> But! I also have a really good Nebula/Tony story idea now, so look for that to be posted soon, in addition to more chapters to this fic! :)


	5. Chapter 5

The knife was flung at her face the moment she stepped through the door.

Wanda stopped it in midair, red swirling around it, wisps of it winding around to wrap back around her.

Then she used her magic to fling the knife back at Natasha.

The Black Widow dodged it easily, then came to a stop in front of Wanda, and cocked a hand on her hip. “Well. It’s about time. Finally ready to kick some ass?”

“Sin is in a warehouse down town. We need to go tonight. She will not be there long.”

“Guess I better get my coat.” Natasha moved quickly, grabbing her jacket and a few more knives from under her pillow.

“Natasha.” Wanda waited until the spy turned to face her again. She pressed her lips together and took a moment. Then she took a leap of faith. “Captain Rogers had help when he broke us out of the Raft.”

It had never occurred to her before, but while she stood on the rooftop searching for Sin, thinking about Natasha’s sudden appearance in Scotland, it became painfully obvious. This whole time she’d thought Stark and Romanoff had thrown her to the wolves and left her to suffer. But even with Steve being the master tactician that he was, he couldn’t have done it all alone.

Perhaps the Avengers were not as broken as she’d thought.

Natasha’s face revealed nothing. “Did he?”

The non-answer was the same as a confession, when it came to Romanoff.

“Thank you,” Wanda said softly.

“Tony and I didn’t know about the Raft,” she said again. “It never should have happened. I’m sorry that it did. And once I knew...Steve needed someone to create a distraction. I’m fairly good at that.”

“Did Stark help?”

Romanoff stayed carefully blank. “That’s a question you and Steve should ask him.”

Which meant he had. Doubtful Natasha or Steve had quite the technical skills needed to infiltrate a system like the Raft’s.

Sometime in the future, Wanda would need to have a long talk with Tony Stark. It was past time.

“I am sorry for the way I behaved at the airport,” Wanda said. There was no shame rippling through her as she apologized. What had happened, happened. Natasha and Tony and Vision hadn’t forsaken her, hadn’t left her there, even though she’d thrown a tantrum like a teenager about being confined to her room. Maybe they could all get past this. Maybe there was hope.

“So am I.” Natasha tilted her head. “Now can we leave and go take down the bad guy, or shall we continue to stand around and discuss our feelings?”

The laugh that bubbled up felt good as she followed Natasha out the door.

 

 

“Do you have a plan?”

“You gather all the information you can. I will confront Sin.”

“That’s not really a plan, Wanda.”

“We do not need one. They won’t see us coming.” She would be like Pietro. So fast she was nothing but a blur.

“Gonna send Sin’s goons a lovely little nightmare?”

Wanda turned a corner, reaching down deep to draw her magic out. “Yes.”

“Good.” Natasha nodded. The warehouse loomed in front of them, and two guards stood in front of the entrance doors. “Want to start with those two?”

In answer, Wanda flung her left wrist out and strode forward. The men noticed her immediately, raising their guns and shouting, but Wanda’s magic coiled around them before they could raise the alarm.

She didn’t send them much, just a hint of the dark and cold. Delving into someone’s worst nightmare was not a mistake she was about to make again. They needed the guards down to stay out of the way and not alert Sin, but she did not need to spell them any further.

“Nice work,” Natasha said, quickly tying the men up. “Let’s hope each encounter is that easy.”

Wanda glared at her out of the corner of her eye. “Did you really have to say it was easy?”

Natasha snorted. “I realize it’s practically asking for trouble, but it’s us, Wanda. Trouble is going to find us anyway.”

The fact that she had a point was unnerving.

Stepping around the dreaming men, Wanda used her magic to break open the large doors, and took a moment to familiarize herself with the layout. Then she gestured to the left. “Their labs are down there. You make sure to find any vital information on the serum or it’s suppressant Sin may have tried to recreate.”

“You’re going after Sin alone?”

“I will be fine.”

“Maybe we should trade roles.”

“She was able to attack and capture Captain Rogers. Not even the Black Widow can defeat her without a better skill set.”

Natasha smirked. “You’d be surprised.” She studied Wanda, then slowly nodded. “But you might be right. You’re the best person to go after her. I’ll get or destroy all that I can. If you need me, call for backup.”

Wanda blinked. She hadn’t expected the spy to agree so easily. But then she recalled Natasha’s words from earlier that afternoon. _“I’m here to help.”_

And unlike when Romanoff first appeared, Wanda had no doubt she truly was.

“I will call if I need you.”

Romanoff nodded again. “Good luck, Scarlet Witch.”

Wanda nodded and walked away.

 

 

It was too easy.

She knocked the Hydra agents out quickly, which was the first warning. When she and Pietro had been Hydra, she’d seen how viciously they trained. Being caught unaware would have been unacceptable under Strucker's command, but here nearly everyone she saw was not prepared.

Almost as if they’d been told to act incompetent.

So her back was up while she continued on, jamming the cameras and hoping Natasha wasn’t being ambushed.

Two more guards were sent nightmares. As they slumped to the ground, a trickle of awareness tingled at the back of Wanda’s mind. Pausing, she swirled her magic down the hall, trying to understand.

It felt like someone knocked on the door to her thoughts.

Absurd. No one had mental telepathy in the same way she did, but if she didn’t know any better, she’d think someone with her exact abilities was attempting to take a look around her head.

Not acceptable.

She lashed out with a burst of energy that exploded down the hall, into all of the nearby doorways. Windows and door frames shattered around her, sending glass and wood shards flying. If there was someone close enough to try and mess with her mind, that surely would have distracted them.

And...yes. The strange awareness was gone. If she was going to get a chance to find out who it was, it would be now. Hurrying down the hallway, Wanda kept her guard up, and turned into an open room that looked like an enormous garage.

It wasn’t empty.

“It’s about time. Did you need to destroy half the establishment while approaching? Those windows won’t fix themselves.”

Sinthea Schmidt lounged against an SUV, head tilted. Then the Red Skull’s daughter shoved away from it, stalking toward Wanda. “So, you’re the Scarlet Witch. You’re not at all how I pictured. I mean, I’ve seen your photos, know what you can do, but I expected...more.”

Wanda decided to take a page out of Natasha’s book. “You’d be surprised.”

Sin’s smile was fast and lethal. “I certainly hope so. After you started hunting us I went to great lengths to make sure we were prepared for you. I’d be disappointed if we didn’t get a show.”

“Show?” Wanda asked, beginning to feel uneasy. Her magic screamed that something wasn’t right, but she couldn’t tell what, even though she strained her telepathy trying to find it. “There will be no show. You’ll be coming with me and Agent Romanoff.”

“Oh, I don’t think so. It’s more like you’ll be coming with us.” She smiled again, a fierce glint appearing in her eyes. “You’re not Captain Rogers, but reclaiming you for Hydra will get me in their good graces again all the same.”

Wanda flicked out a hand, sent her magic swirling at Sin. “No. We are going now.”

The red tendrils engulfed Sinthea, but instead of fighting or acting inconvenienced, the redhead laughed.

“You have no idea what you’ve walked into, do you? Agent 53, come say hello.”

A woman with maroon hair and green eyes walked into the garage. Nothing too unusual about her, except for the brightness of her eyes, and.... _damn!_ Wanda shifted, crying out as a piercing pain stabbed into her brain. It was well-aimed, the pain brought tears to Wanda's eyes, but she gritted her teeth and fought to kick the woman—-it _had_ to be Agent 53 attacking her mind—out, and keep Sin bound.

Easier said than done. Wanda threw her hands out, shaking with effort, twirling her fingers, sending more threads toward Agent 53. The woman slammed back and connect to the wall painfully, gasping.  


The fingers attempting to grab her mind abruptly let go. Wasting no time, Wanda tightened the magical grip on Sin and worked to keep Agent 53 contained at the same time.

“Break her hold!” Sin shouted at her agent. “Or you’ll suffer the consequences.”

Agent 53 shouted, closing her eyes, and pushed back against Wanda’s magic. Desperate to keep her from attacking, Wanda dug down deep, preparing to send a vision to the woman, hoping it would take her out and render her useless.

At the same time Wanda sent swirls of red catapulting toward the Hydra agent, Agent 53 opened her eyes.

The green was gone, replaced by a bright and intense orange, as if her very soul was on fire and the sparks erupted through her eyes.

Wanda’s spell missed Agent 53 completely.

She didn’t get a chance to lament her missed spell. Agent 53 went on the offensive, lashing out at Wanda with ropes of fire. With no time to try and block it with her own magic, Wanda leapt to the side, releasing Sin in the process.

But she didn’t stay on her ass. Popping up to her feet, Wanda used her telepathy to grab the Jeep behind Sin and fling it at Agent 53.

She dodged it easily, and retaliated by yanking a section of the roof above them free to crash down on Wanda.

Wanda's arms flicked up, her magic stopping it from crushing her just in time, but the effort took a toll on her. As Wanda lashed back, sending a toolbox careening at Agent 53, she didn’t have the energy to dodge a hit from Sin. The punch landed directly on her chin, with such force Wanda felt it nearly disconnect.

Shit. She was in such trouble.

A small shield kept Agent 53’s new ropes of fire from engulfing her, but Wanda couldn’t keep the Red Skull’s daughter away. Sin attacked viciously, landing blow after blow while the Scarlet Witch desperately tried to keep her back.

Sin was nearly as strong as Steve, and Wanda regretted every time she politely declined sparring with him, citing she had magic to rely on.

If she lived through this, she would be correcting that stupid mistake.

A harsh kick to her knee had Wanda dropping, screaming in pain, but the pain fueled her anger and she was finally able to send Sinthea blasting away. Gulping deeply for air, she tried standing, keeping her shield up while Agent 53 tried to get around it.

Wanda stood, holding her left hand out and sending a red burst of energy toward Sin to keep her down. With her other hand she dropped the shield, sending a blast at Agent 53.  


The woman shrieked as Wanda’s magic engulfed her and slammed her against the wall. Gasping with effort, Wanda kept both of them pinned, trying to figure out the best way to keep them down so she and Nat could subdue them and get the hell out. A nightmare would be best, and she readied herself to drop the spell she had keeping them back, opened her mind to prepare to send them a horrific vision.

Movement behind her. Okay, she would subdue the newcomer and then send the visions.

She stopped the first arrow the newcomer fired. But she was stretched too thin, Agent 53 was too strong. When 53 hurled another flash of fire at her, Wanda managed to knock it away, but was distracted.

The second arrow lodged into her shoulder, and the electricity that crackled from it had her shuttering so hard her teeth clacked together.

53 lashed out again. Once more Wanda managed to avoid it, but she lost her focus on the energy blast keeping Sin back, and the Red Skull’s daughter broke free.

Flinging her hands to her sides, Wanda gathered all the magic she could, zeroing in on 53, and unleashed everything she had.

The woman dodged it.

The first rope of fire snaked around Wanda’s right arm. With a yank the rope forced her to her knees, and it burned, oh how it BURNED—-her arm was on fire and her mind blanked at the pain.

The second rope curled around her left ankle.

Another yank, and her foot was jerked out from underneath her. Wanda toppled to the ground, agony slicing through her, but she struggled to get up. She could finish this, she wasn’t done yet.

The next rope lashed around her middle.

The sound she made was similar to the scream that had torn from her throat when Pietro died. Pain stole her breath, she was on _fire_ , god the pain of the burns was awful, and her strength slipped, her own magic sliding away from her as she struggled to breathe through the agony.

Sin slid over next to her, laughing as more fiery ropes bound themselves around Wanda.

“Like I said. You’ll be coming with us.”

And then she snapped a collar around Wanda’s neck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finding someone who could be Wanda's match was _difficult_. She's crazy powerful, even though here she's not quite as badass as she is in IW, but still...who could possibly be her match?? 
> 
> So I came up with Agent 53, whose name I won't reveal quite yet in case I give her her own story later, though she's probably easy to guess!
> 
> But she is indeed based off of one of Marvel's Bad Ass ladies, (though she's not an Avenger) and is also one of the only characters I could think of that would be up to the challenge of taking out the Scarlet Witch. 
> 
> Plus, she's one of my all-time favorites :)


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a panic attack this chapter, please take care!

Her skull was on fire.

Wanda groaned, struggling to open her eyes. Her attempts only increased the painful pounding in the back of her head, so she stopped that and focused on breathing. Nausea made her stomach roll, and she fought to keep the meager lunch she’d consumed hours ago down.

Eyes fluttering open, she inhaled sharply when the light above her head shot stabbing agony into her brain.

“Easy. Take it easy, Maximoff.”

Natasha. Slowly, Wanda tried craning her head, freezing when she remembered what was snapped around her neck.

“It’s okay,” Natasha said quietly. “You’re not back there, it’s not the same.”

That didn’t stop the tremors from starting. Or keep her hands from jerking up, scrambling at the collar, digging into the edges as she tried to get it off.

“Wanda. Stop.” Natasha’s voice was still quiet, but the order was strong enough that Wanda paused, trembling and breathing shakily. She sat up, closing her eyes, telling herself she was not there, this was not the Raft, and she was not alone.

There was no shock from the collar while she fought to get her breathing under control. That in itself was something different; every time she so much as moved too much on the Raft Ross would shock her, for fear of Wanda getting free and attacking.

Perhaps with Agent 53 around, Sin didn’t have that same concern.

Eventually she could breathe without gasping raggedly. Wanda turned to stare at Natasha and get a feel for where they were. The shaking hadn’t stopped, but there wasn’t much she could do about that, other than ignore it.

A small box of a room was their prison. Wanda was on a wooden bench fused to the wall, and Natasha was sitting in a steel chair across from her, bound in numerous chains, with two men standing over her, guns aimed at her head.

Wanda blinked.

“They didn’t like how I destroyed their lab,” Natasha explained with a smirk.

“You killed ten of our men.” The man on her right growled.

“They would still be alive if they hadn’t tried to kill me first.”

The man slammed the end of his gun into her shoulder for her lip. The look Natasha sent him after he did made even Wanda cringe and scoot away from the spy.

The fact the man only flinched and didn’t lose his bladder was a little impressive.

“You won’t be mouthing off so much when Sin gets back.”

Natasha’s lips curved into a thin smile, and this time, the man took two steps away as she stared at him. “Oh, believe me. I look forward to it.”

When the door opened, the other guard muttered, “Oh, thank God.”

Agent 53 strode inside, eyes back to green. “I will keep watch for a while.”

The first guard shifted. “We aren’t supposed to leave-“

“You are useless while I am here. Go.”

The second guard was out the door before she finished her sentence. Eventually the other man sighed, glared back at Natasha, and stalked out.

Romanoff tilted her head and lifted an eyebrow at 53. “You’re going to want to stop that.”

“Stop what? Reading your mind, gauging the terrain? I could break your mind in moments. Yes, you, Romanoff.” 53 responded. “Your mental blocks are good, but I’m better. And I am not here for you.”

She turned away from Natasha, and folded her arms while she studied Wanda. “As long as you don’t try to take the collar off, it won’t shock you.”

Wanda didn’t bother replying.

“If you agree to work with Sin, that won’t be necessary,” 53 continued. “You might want to hear her out.”

Wanda recalled the state Steve had been left in, after being captured by Sin. And how the Red Skull's daughter hadn’t hesitated to resort to threatening children to get Rogers to surrender and go with her willingly.

“I will not work with the daughter of the Red Skull.”

“I said that once, too.”

Wanda lifted her head, let the Hydra agent see into her thoughts.

_I know who I am,_ Wanda informed her. Images of Pietro laughing next to her, of Vision making her paprikash, ran through her mind. They were quickly followed by memories of Steve trusting her to catapult him into the air, and Natasha teaching her how to land a punch. Of Wanda first discovering her powers, and that crucial, exhilarating moment when she stormed out of a set of doors and became an Avenger.

_I know who I am,_ Wanda thought once more. _And I will not make the mistake of running from her again._

Reaching up, she channeled her magic as quickly as she could and aimed at her own neck.

The collar shattered.

53’s eyes widened. “No—-“

Wanda stood, holding her hands out to her sides, red swirls curling around them.

And attacked.

53 slammed into the wall, Wanda’s magic exploding around her. The chains holding Natasha crashed to the ground, and the Black Widow rose, a small, genuine smile crossing her features.

Golden ropes slashed through the room, but this time, Wanda expected them. Instead of attempting to dodge them, Wanda held her hands up and froze them in place. Then flung her arms backward.

53 flew forward, towards Natasha’s fists.

53 managed to avoid getting her nose broken by the Black Widow, but just barely. Twisting, 53 managed a shield and stopped Natasha in her tracks.

The Hydra agent hurried out of the small room and Wanda and Natasha followed. Wanda had just stepped into the hallway behind Romanoff when a red blur slammed into Natasha, hurtling her to the floor.

As the two of them scrambled, Wanda sent another blast of magic at 53, sending her tumbling down the hall.

Sin broke away from Natasha and sneered. “Going somewhere?”

Natasha’s answer was to drop down into a spin kick and snap Sin’s feet out from under her.

The Red Skull’s daughter hit the ground with a thud and a curse, but was back on her feet and flinging herself at Natasha in moments. Wanda dragged her eyes away from their deathly fight, praying Natasha could take care of herself. The Black Widow was the best there was, but she was still just a regular human. Could she survive a fight with an individual with enhanced strength, like Sin?

The odds were low, but Wanda still put her bet on Natasha, and moved to her own opponent.

53 was back up and had orange rage in her eyes, the hallway surrounding her filling with fire.

Out. She needed to put the fire out. Wanda spun her wrists, making the red magic spin and twist, and sent it at the fire. Enough of the flames were blown out by the force of her magic that it was no longer deadly, but a few orange ropes remained.

53 sent them hurtling toward Wanda like she had earlier. Side-stepping then, Wanda sent her own ropes of power spiraling down the hall.

Locked in a deadly duel, they flung fire and magic at each other, barely avoiding each other’s attacks. 53 hurtled chunks of the ceiling at Wanda again, and Wanda caught them and tossed them back at her. More fire erupted from 53’s hands and catapulted down the hall. Cursing, Wanda sent it up and out of the holes in the ceiling.

When 53 sent rope after rope of fire crashing toward her, Wanda lifted her own arms again and sent blasts of her own magic back.

Red and orange collided. 53 laughed, the orange briefly overtaking the red. Wanda planted her feet and reached down into her magic while 53 pummeled her with the fiery ropes, the taunting laughter echoing over the explosion of magic.

Wanda gritted her teeth, and continued to dig down deep.

Another laugh joined 53’s. _“Oh, that is brilliant. She won’t see that coming.”_

Probably it wasn't a good thing that she was hearing Pietro again. But Wanda couldn't help the smile, couldn't help but feel that it was a clue that she was ready. Wanda coiled her magic around herself, knowing it was more she had ever gathered before.

And let go.

Her magic exploded forward, completely annihilating the orange ropes of flame. 53 shrieked, trying to regroup as Wanda’s magic collided into her. Wanda didn't relent. Wave after wave of her power crashed into 53, bounding her arms in place. Then Wanda instructed it to expand and engulf the Agent.

Her orange eyes flickered back to green. “What are you doing? Stop it!”

Wanda didn’t answer, only walked down the hall. The red tendrils continued to twist and snarl around 53. “Sleep,” Wanda told her, lifting her hands to 53’s temples. A wisp of red moved from her hands into the Hydra agents mind.  


53 slept.

A grunt behind her had Wanda turning, ready to go to Natasha’s aid.

But Natasha, though bleeding profusely from the nose and holding her arm at an awkward angle, stood over Sin’s still form, grinning.

“I admit, I am impressed,” Wanda said, glancing down at Sin. She sent a few red tendrils down to curl around and bound Sin’s wrists together.

Just in case.

“She has the same problems Steve does,” Natasha scoffed. “Relying to much on strength when speed and adaptability are the important things.”

“That’s not fair.” Steve Rogers stepped around the corner, a grin covering his own face. Wanda’s eyebrows lifted at the beard.

“I’ve taken a few of your lessons to heart,” Steve continued.

Natasha rolled her eyes. “You still charge your way face first into every fight you encounter, Rogers.”

“Well, no one’s perfect.” Steve laughed.

“Oh.” Vision popped into the hall next to them, blinking rapidly. “Well. I was rather under the impression that Agent Romanoff and Wanda needed our help.”

“We’re fine, Viz,” Natasha said.

“You boys took too long,” Wanda told him at the same time. He looked visibly flustered until she smiled. “But I wouldn’t say no to having someone treating us to dinner to celebrate our victory.”

Vision beamed. “I would be delighted.”


	7. Chapter 7

Steve and Natasha opted to eat dinner later. Steve informed them he would deal with securing Sin and 53, after ensuring Natasha’s wounds were treated.

The Black Widow did a lot more eye-rolling at that, but she didn’t argue, and waved them away with a mischievous look in her eyes.

Wanda and Vision left the warehouse, slowly wandering the streets of Edinburgh.

“Do you have a preference for your victory dinner? I am not well-versed in Scottish cuisine, but I could try to find a delicacy or fancy place still open, or perhaps a pub? I’ve heard pubs in Scotland are quite well-loved.”

Wanda pulled the hat on her head down and nestled into the warmth of the scarf Vision had offered her. The wind was crisp on her face, and Wanda tilted her head toward Vision, enjoying the way the streetlights contrasted light and shadows on him while they walked. “To tell the truth, I’m exhausted. I’d be fine with a large pizza and a movie on the couch, if that is fine with you.”

Vision offered her his arm, and she linked her arm through it, curling in close.

“I think that sounds lovely,” Vision said softly.

 

 

 

When she was so full she could barely move, Wanda leaned back on the couch, smiling at the way her arm brushed up against Vision’s. He was warm, and familiar, and reminded her of home.

“Wanda?” He asked, shifting a little. “What you did tonight? Taking down the Red Skull’s daughter, defeating that telepath. That was truly incredible.”

“Thanks. It felt good. Finally doing the right thing again.”

“You seem....content.”

She smiled. “I remembered a few important things.”

“Such as?” He asked. Then immediately flushed. “I mean, if you don’t mind me asking.”

She still didn’t understand how he blushed with purple skin. “I remembered I am not alone. And I don’t need to fear what I am, or who will come after me. I’m the Scarlet Witch.”

“You are. Yes. You absolutely are. It’s magnificent.”

Her smile grew. “Thanks, Viz.”

“You are most welcome.” He returned her smile and glanced back at the movie.

But after a few minutes he began fidgeting again. “Wanda?”

“Hmm?”

“Would you...I wonder if....what I’m trying to ask is...Wanda, would it be alright if I...well, if I kissed you?” He blurted.

Happiness curled warmly through her heart. Leaning forward, Wanda grabbed the edge of his shirt, and pulled him close. “Honestly, Viz? I thought you would never ask.”

 

 

 

“You need to keep your elbows up.”

“I _am_.”

“Try a little harder, Wanda.”

“Have you always been this demanding? Or is it because you cannot fight me yourself that you are being picky?” Wanda grumbled, but got back into a fighting stance. The man she was boxing with hid his smile behind his glove.

“I am not grumpy,” Natasha stated, but she glared at the cast on her arm. The fight with Sin had left her with a broken wrist and numerous cracked ribs. She held herself so well it was barely noticeable, though it had only been a week.

Then she sighed. “Maybe we need a break. Hobbs. Take ten, give us a minute.”

The boxer nodded and hurried out of the ring. Natasha got up and entered the ring herself, swinging between the ropes easily despite her ribs.

“You’ve shown a lot of progress the last few days,” Romanoff said, studying Wanda.

“I should hope so. I’ve spent more time training here than I did at the Compound.”

“I didn’t mean your fighting skills, though that has improved a little as well,” Natasha smirked. Then she sobered. “You’re smiling and using your magic often again. It’s nice to see.”  


“Are we going to discuss our feelings again?” Wanda teased.

As she’d hoped, it made Natasha laugh. “Maybe later. I want to see your latest magic tricks before you leave to meet Vision again.”

“How do you know I’m going to meet Vision?” He'd asked if she wanted to return to Edinburgh, and she hadn't hesitated to say yes. The city would always hold a soft spot in her heart, and invoke memories of leaning into Vision and kissing him in the rain.

Natasha quirked an eyebrow."Are you really questioning my snooping abilities?" 

Wanda laughed and removed her boxing gloves. “Right. Silly me.”

Natasha grinned. “Are you ready to practice the catapult?”

Flicking her wrist, Wanda let the red tendrils dance along her fingers. Such power in them. And now that she knew she wasn't alone, knew that though she no longer had Pietro, she had teammates that would stand by her, who would go to the ends to the earth to break her free from a nightmarish prison or rescue her from herself, she was no longer afraid of that power. Instead, she embraced it, accepted it, as swiftly and fiercely as she had once accepted the brother who would always be there for her. 

Wanda smiled. “I’m ready.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now we have a bad ass friendship that leads us to "She's not alone." Ugh. I love badass female friendship so much. 
> 
> Thanks for reading!


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